Check the Launch Locator to see which stores will have this release. The Nike Air Zoom Flight “The Glove” drops at Foot Locker, House of Hoops by Foot Locker, and (starting at 8:00 am EDT) at on Saturday, October 5, for $145. Along the shoe’s heel reads “The Glove” just so you know who’s kicks these are. Building off insights from WNBA point guard Sabrina Ionescu and NBA point guard De'Aaron Fox, the Swoosh paired a mesh and neoprene upper with Air Zoom strobel cushioning, elevating the silhouette’s stability and responsiveness. A folded down bootie reveals a mostly mesh basketball shoe with a stylized upper and lots of ankle padding. Nike debuted the Air Zoom GT Cut in 2021 as a performance basketball shoe. Separate the players from the playmakers. Cut 2 helps you stop on a dime and accelerate back into the open lane in a low-to-the-ground design that helps minimize court contact while switching direction.
While the shoe is sleek and simple zipped up, many choose to wear the outer layer folded down, especially off-court. In today’s game, slow-footed slugs get sought out and exposed.
For those not familiar with the original shoe, it is very similar to the bootie of the Jordan XX8. “The Glove” takes the nickname to heart – wrapping a basketball shoe in a stylized bootie with a diagonal zipper to seal in the laces and ankle. Those kicks, named after Payton’s nickame “The Glove,” will be reissued this weekend in his on-court colorway. All of the previously mentioned strengths lead to his own kicks with Nike in 1998 – the Nike Air Zoom Flight 98. Payton also made waves with his sneaker game during his time in the league.
In his time in the league Payton was known for being one of the toughest defenders to play against Michael Jordan, as well as being one half of the original and self-proclaimed “Lob City” duo featuring himself and Shawn Kemp in Seattle. Enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this year, Gary Payton was one of the best defenders, trash talkers, and point guards in NBA history.